For Lucy

As only purebred boneheads did, I continued to play hard to get or maybe it was just plain old stupid by that point. “I have to work in the morning.”

And take my laxative and soak my dentures.

STUPID!

Did I mention it was not even four o’clock?

“O … kay.” Tatum bit her lips together and returned a sharp nod.

“Well, thanks again. See ya around.” And I turned and weaved my way back to my truck before I had the chance to say one more stupid word. “What. Is. Wrong. With. YOU?” I hammered my head against the headrest as I gripped my steering wheel.

At the end of our “not date,” I still didn’t have her phone number or her address. If I wanted to see her again, I’d have to stalk her at open houses.

Good job, Emmett. You’re real smooth.

God bless fate.

She was a beautiful angel who looked out for me because five days later, as I headed toward my truck after clocking out on Friday afternoon, I noticed a figure sitting on my tailgate. That figure came into focus the closer I got, and my lucky-as-shit grin painted itself to my face again. Only … she wasn’t grinning as she sat there with her gloved hands gripping the edge of the tailgate, legs swinging back and forth.

“You’re an asshole. You know that, right?” I didn’t see that greeting coming.

My smile wavered a bit. “Uh …” I slowed my stride, trudging through the thick mud of her question or maybe accusation. “Did I miss something?”

When I reached five feet from my truck, she hopped off the tailgate and parked her hands on her hips. “Wow! I don’t know, Emmett. Did you miss something? Or am I the one missing the fact that I was nothing more than a game to you? A toy for you to play with? Gullible Tatum invites you to a game, so you have your fun and kiss me like you liked me when it was clearly just a kiss off. A fuck off.”

Other than her physical features, I wasn’t at all sure I knew the little spitfire standing in front of me. The girl I stole from Toby … Cody … Dopey was confident and cool. I had no real clue if she was interested in me until she kissed me back after the game. And honestly, I thought I blew it.

On a slight grimace, I scratched my scruffy jaw. “I didn’t have your number or address or I would have called.”

“Bullshit. You didn’t want to call me. You had every chance to ask for my number, and you didn’t ask.”

I had a holy-crap moment that resurrected my grin which, from the menacing expression on Tatum’s face, didn’t seem to sit well with her.

She liked me.

Truly.

Madly.

Maybe even a little angrily liked me.

And she was pissed off that I hadn’t made an effort to contact her.

“I like you too.” I brushed past her, tossed my backpack into the bed of my truck, and closed the tailgate.

“You don’t. And I’m not here to beg you to like me. I just wasn’t okay with you playing me like that without giving me the opportunity to have the final word. So listen up, asshole. You’re a total—”

I shut her up with my mouth on hers, with my hands fisting her hair, and with my body shoving her against the side of my dirty truck.

I shut her up with my tongue prying open her mouth in spite of her weak resistance.

God … I loved shutting her up almost as much as I loved listening to her go off about my asshole status. I really wasn’t playing hard to get that week. In all honesty, I felt like a fool. It really never occurred to me that she still wanted me to pursue her. Had I known, I would’ve been booking appointments to see houses that were out of my price range. I would have followed her home and climbed the fire escape after her roommates were asleep, just to kiss her one more time.

When she pushed against my chest, I released her. For a moment, I half expected to feel the palm of her hand slap my face. She looked a little feral, but that might have been because I thoroughly messed up her hair during that epic kiss.

“I sold a house today. A big one.” Excitement grew in her voice. “I think my fake blind date should take me for a celebratory drink. Unless …” she slid her sleeve up an inch and glanced at her watch “…it’s too close to your bedtime?”

I opened my mouth to defend my actions, but they really were indefensible. “I have to shower, but I think I can stay awake a few more hours.”

“Great! I’ll follow you to your house and hang out with your parents while you shower.”